Course Code

Field of Study

Type of Course:

Type of Qualification:

Type of Study:

Full time

Application Closing Date:

Admission Requirements:

For admission to a programme, standard applicants must

score the necessary CAO points and

meet the minimum entry requirements

Leaving Certificate examination in six subjects i.e. H5 in two subjects, and O6/H7 in four other subjects. The six subjects must include Mathematics, and either English or Irish. Mathematics must be at least Grade O1/H6.

Info re CIT Mathematics Exam only:
Some students who apply to CIT courses may not achieve the required entry standard in Mathematics through the Leaving Certificate. For such applicants, CIT offers a second chance to reach the required entry standard through a CIT Mathematics Exam. This second chance facility allows applicants (depending on their results in the CIT Mathematics Examination) to gain entry to courses with an Ordinary Leaving Certificate Mathematics entry standard, and (with a higher level of performance) courses with a Higher Leaving Certificate entry standard.

Leaving Cert Subjects:

Helpful subjects are Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, and English.

Course summary

The Common Engineering Honours Entry Scheme is a one year programme for students interested in engineering as a career, but who may be unsure of which discipline to follow. The Scheme gives students the opportunity to see all four engineering disciplines first hand. Through the various modules on offer, interaction with the lecturers and site visits will assist the student to decide which discipline suits him/her best.

Department(s)

Civil, Structural & Environmental Engine

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY - OPEN DAYS 2018

8th November
National Maritime College of Ireland, Ringaskiddy County Cork

What is Engineering?

Engineering is the practical application of science and mathematics to solve problems, and it is everywhere in the world around you. Engineering technologies improve the ways that we communicate, work, travel, stay healthy, and entertain ourselves.

Engineers are problem-solvers who want to make things work more efficiently, quickly, and less expensively. From computer chips and satellites to medical devices and renewable energy technologies, engineering makes our modern life possible.

About the Course

The Common Engineering Honours Entry Scheme is a one year programme for students interested in engineering as a career, but who may be unsure of which discipline to follow.

The Scheme gives students the opportunity to see all four engineering disciplines first hand. Through the various modules on offer, interaction with the lecturers and site visits will assist the student to decide which discipline suits him/her best.

On successful completion of Year 1, students can choose to enter the second year programme of their choice (subject to meeting the standard progression requirements) from any of the following Honours Engineering Degrees:

Lectures are supplemented by tutorials, laboratory and fieldwork. There is continuous assessment of reports and projects in addition to mid and end of year module examinations.

Please note: successful completion of the Common Engineering Entry Year ensures guaranteed entry to Year 2 of BEng (Honours) Level 8 programme of choice from the list given above.

BRIEF ANALYSIS OF ENGINEERING DISCIPLINES

► Structural Engineering is the science and art of designing civil engineering facilities so they can safely resist the forces to which they are subjected. All structures from bridges to buildings, harbours to airports must be able to meet these requirements. In addition to the technical skills required for the above work a Civil Engineer will also have competencies in related fi elds such as project and asset management, health and safety, and water and wastewater treatment.

► Mechanical Engineering involves the design, manufacture and operation of products that have motion or have internal moving parts including machines and aircraft to major power plants and process equipment facilities.

► Chemical and Biopharmaceutical Engineering involves turning raw materials into fi nished products. The fi nished products end up in pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations and many other places and the design, operation and management of these products are the responsibility of the Chemical and Biopharmaceutical Engineer.

► Biomedical Engineering combines engineering knowledge with an appreciation of the functioning of the human body, covering topics from the design and development of artifi cial joints, to equipment for medical diagnosis and treatment, to the implanting of biomaterials or biomedical devices in the human body.

Question Time

Am I guaranteed my choice of study at the end of Year 1?
Yes. Successful completion of the Common Engineering Entry Year ensures guaranteed entry to Year 2 of BEng(Honours) programme of choice from the list given.

If I did not study Honours Mathematics in the Leaving Certificate will I struggle on the courses given that all course streams would normally require Honours Mathematics?
The Mathematics modules in Year 1 are specifically tailored to address the topics which underpin subsequent BEng (Honours) programme studies; this gives a very specific focus to student learning. While the Common Entry students undertake the same Mathematics modules as the Year 1 BEng (Honours) students, an additional module of Mathematics is undertaken in the inter-semester period in January each year.

This provides the Common Entry students with an additional learning opportunity in advance of the Semester 2 Mathematics module. Experience has shown that students who do not have the usual BEng (Honours) minimum H4 requirement do succeed in the Common Entry programme if they have also taken Leaving Certificate Physics and/or Chemistry and are committed to their Year 1 studies.

Students who do not have the H4 Maths requirement, or equivalent, and who do not have Leaving Certificate Physics or Leaving Certificate Chemistry may find the programme particularly challenging and additional work effort and application is required of these students if they are to succeed.

CIT’s Academic Learning Centre provides free tuition in a number of disciplines (http://alc.cit.ie).

What is the advantage of choosing the Common Entry?
The Common Entry gives the student an opportunity to discover more about the various fields of engineering and to identify the engineering profession which is best suited to them. Entry to Year 2 of the BEng (Honours) programme of their choice, from the list identified, is guaranteed for Common Entry students who successfully complete the one year programme – there are no quotas or limits on the number of students who may enter Year 2 of a particular discipline.

The Common Entry offers those who may not have had the opportunity to take Higher Level Mathematics at Leaving Certificate, or those who may have opted out of Higher Level Mathematics during the Leaving Certificate programme, a second opportunity to attain the mathematical skills and competences required for BEng (Honours) Engineering Studies.

Graduate Quotes

Timothy Harrington
“The Engineering (Common Entry) programme gave me the opportunity to see all four engineering disciplines fi rst hand, through the various modules on offer, interaction with the lecturers and site visits. This helped me decide which discipline suited me the best. I choose structural engineering and I am currently employed in the waste water sector in Ireland.”

Brian Hand
“Although I did not have higher level Mathematics for the Leaving Certificate, through the Common Entry Engineering programme in CIT I was able to enrol on a four year accredited engineering programme. I did mechanical engineering and was awarded best paper at the 1st CADFEM Ireland User Conference for my fi nal year project. I believe the common entry was the essential fi rst step for me.”

Paul Forde
“I always wanted to do structural engineering but I did not do higher level Mathematics for the Leaving Certificate. So instead I choose the Common Entry Engineering route, and after completing the one year programme I progressed to Year 2 of the BEng (Hons) in Structural Engineering. The Common Entry Engineering Programme was ideal as it got me into the programme I always wanted. I am now undertaking a Master of Engineering in Civil (Environmental & Energy) Engineering which I am thoroughly enjoying.”

CIT has developed a website which gives full details of all modules for all courses. The website also has information on recommended textbooks, average weekly workload, assessments and exams. For detailed information on modules, please click here

N.B. Students with lower than a Grade C in Leaving Certificate Higher Level Mathematics are required to take a Mathematics bridging course between Semester 1 and Semester 2 (in January).

Graduate engineers from the Honours Engineering Degree Programmes can choose from a range of excellent career opportunities working in the private or public sector with opportunities available at both National and International Level. Many graduates ultimately progress to senior management positions in their organisations. These Honours Engineering Degree Programmes also provide a basis for suitably qualified graduates to pursue more advanced studies.